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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980944">I had your back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaironsMaid/pseuds/MaironsMaid'>MaironsMaid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Heavy Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Witcher Jaskier | Dandelion, no happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:49:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980944</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaironsMaid/pseuds/MaironsMaid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tossing away his glamour and getting back on the Path, that had been Jaskier's plan.<br/>But then he stumbled over Ciri and Geralt.</p><p>He couldn't just let them walk away without him and Geralt should remember: whatever happens, Jaskier will always have his back.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon &amp; Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I had your back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to the Witcher angst extreme edition!  I hope y'all are okay with no happy endings and Jaskier dying becaus that's what you'll get from reading this.<br/>If anyone sees any grave mistakes please let me know ^^<br/>This is already posted in almost the same form on my Witcher tumblr<br/>@ jaskierislikedonkeyfromshrek</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the fight on the mountain Jaskier shed his glamour and went back to being Julian of Kerack.</p><p>He still hurts and still loves Geralt, but Jaskier died when his heart was broken. So he plans to go back to Oxenfurt, try on his old armour and polish his blades. He takes his time, not rushing and trying to enjoy the nature, taking shortcuts through the woods. And one evening he stumbles over a campsite. He almost laughs, because destiny really seems to hate him, as he realizes just who it is that looks at him so shocked.</p><p>So he jokes and grins as he sits down by the fire, ignoring the confused and hurt smell coming from Geralt and the way his heart clenches at the sight of him. He strikes up conversation with Ciri, and she tells him about the necrophages that attacked them the night prior. Her tale explains the weary look on Geralt's face as well as his bandaged shoulder and Julian still hurts but he also loves Geralt still so he stays with them. 'Just till Geralt is better' he tells himself.</p><p>It would be easy for them to fall back into their rhythm but Julian can't. Can't let Geralt that near again, can't let himself hope again. They travel on, and Geralt's shoulder gets better and Ciri starts smiling more at the tales Julian tells. Would one ignore the tension steadily building between him and Geralt it would seem almost domestic.</p><p>And then everything turns to shit really fast.<br/>The ambush happens quickly.<br/>30 or more men, Nilfgaardian soldiers, coming for them, coming for Ciri.</p><p>And they are two Witchers, but Geralt is wounded and they also have to keep Ciri safe.<br/>So they try. They try so hard.<br/>And when they killed so many that the fight is almost fair one soldier manages to get to Ciri. Ciri who was supposed to run, but who is the lion cub of Cintra and who just found Geralt and she can't just leave them behind so she fights.<br/>But that is enough to get Geralt distracted.<br/>And it seems like time is running in slow motion when Jaskier sees the soldier creeping up behind Geralt.<br/>And he could throw a sign, but the chance that he'll hit Geralt is too big.<br/>But he is a Witcher. He is fast.<br/>So he runs.<br/>Geralt sees Jaskier running towards him from the corner of his eye.<br/>But when he turns, it's too late.</p><p>And Ciri screams. She screams and Geralt feels his ears bleeding, but he doesn't care. He doesn't care for anything. He only sees Jaskier lying on the wet ground, his still so unfamiliar scars stretching as he smiles at Geralt. And this smile. It's the same he gave Geralt over the last decades. And Gerakt sinks to his knees, frantically trying to rip Jaskier's shirt off, to get to the wound and <em>stop the bleeding</em>, but his hands tremble and he can't breath right and..is he crying? The tears are misting his eyes and there's so much blood, still flowing and there shouldn't be so much blood. Witcher hearts beat slower, they heal faster, there can't be that much blood already!<br/>And he is crying and choking out Jaskier's name and he's chanting 'Don't leave me, I love you. Jaskier. You can't leave, you'll heal! Jaskier. I love you I love you I love you.'</p><p>And Jaskier that Bastard takes his trembling hands and puts them on his cheeks, leaving bloody hand prints on his pale face. And he looks at Geralt with tender eye, and his blood smeared mouth stretches into a mocking of his trademark grin. And he says 'I love you Geralt' and soothes 'It's gonna be alright.' and 'Ciri is safe' like <em>Geralt</em> is the one dying and not him, and then his eyes stop sparkling, and his slow, slow slow witcher heart stops beating. Geralt is crying, the tears are falling from his face, mingling with the blood, running in rivers from Jaskier's face, so that it looks like he is the one crying. But Jaskier doesn't cry. Won't cry. Not anymore because he is dead. Dead dead dead. And it is Geralt's fault. Because if he had stayed focused he would have seen the blade coming, if he had looked out not only for Ciri, but for Jaksier as well he would have been able to react before the soldier even raised his blade. But it's to late. He was to late and now Jaskier is dead.<br/>Now the sparkling blue eyes are dull, unseeing and his ever moving form laid still and stiff in death and still Geralt's tears tracked paths through the blood on Jaskier's face.<br/>At some point Ciri came to his side, pressing her slight body against him, trembling and sobbing and he couldn't comfort her, couldn't sooth her pain because he didn't notice. All he saw was Jaskier's broken form, the deep red a stark contrast against his pale skin, nearly invisible on the dark earth. And he felt nothing and everything at all, because Jaskier's heart had stopped beating and so did his, because what was the white wolf without his bard? What was he without his love? Without the joy Jaskier brought into his life?</p><p>He doesn't know, doesn't know how long they sit there, how long he cradles the cold cold body.<br/>Ciri is slumped against him, exhausted from crying and he knows they should move. Get away from the dead Nilfgaardians and the blood soaked ground. But he can't. He can only look at Jaksier. Jaksier who had said 'I love you'. Who said 'I love you' as he slowly bled to death because he took the blade meant for Geralt.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm tempted to write maybe Ciri and Geralt running into Eskel/Lambert/Yennefer  or going to Kaer Morhen after this to write a bit more Whump Geralt.<br/>Let me know if anyone is interested? </p><p>Even though I have no idea how long that writing will take then lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
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